Trio of Mates
Chapter 30

Brandon:

The second I left Zak’s office, I ran out of the pack house. I quickly undressed and shifted, racing into the darkness of the night.

I’ve been running all night, trying to outrace my feelings of betrayal and loss. How could they not tell me? They all knew and hadn’t said a word. It’s not like Devin and I were in love, we both knew that the other would replace their mate soon. But a heads up would have been nice. I was happy for him. He was one of my best friends.

Of course, I hadn’t told him about Charlie and Zak asking me into their bed, either. But that’s beside the point. I was mad at them.

Or was I? Honestly, I think I just felt left behind and left out. They had all found their mates. Yeah, Charlie, Zak, and I were f*****g, but they were mates. They were the ones that were made for each other. When they grew tired of this little experiment, where would that leave me? Alone, while they continued their happy life together. And now Devin was gone, too. Don’t get me wrong, Xander seems like a great guy. But now I have no one to understand what I am going through.

No, I wasn’t really upset about the Goddess’s secret. It kind of gave me hope that whoever my mate was, at least I had the chance that they would be someone I could care about normally and not just forced to love because of the mate bond. I was happy for Devin and Xander. Even with my own issues with secret keeping, I know that if the Goddess had said it, it was law. They had to follow it. I wasn’t that unreasonable.

What really upset me was the loss of that connection with my best friends. And the reminder that what was happening with Charlie, Zak, and me has an expiration date. It made me feel unbearably sad and lonely. And the guilt that has been plaguing me since Charlie and Zak mated, since I realized I still wanted them, clawed its way up and around my throat.

I ran through our territory, not even knowing where I was going. I just needed to move. Needed to not think beyond where the next obstacle was in my path. But, eventually, even a wolf has to stop. As the sun crests the horizon, I found a patch of heavy brush in a densely packed part of the forest. I wiggle my way in and curl myself so that my tail covers my nose. I drift into an uneasy, restless sleep.

Devin:

I wake up feeling Xander’s arms around me. The tingles from the mate bond spark up and down my skin and I am already aroused by the feeling of him against me. I savor the feeling of his arms around me, his chest against my back, and his morning wood beginning to stir against my a.ss. I push my a.ss further into him and his ere.ction responds with fervor. He grinds against me, but I can tell he isn’t fully awake yet.

I am about to act on my baser urges, when the events of yesterday all come crashing back. If that isn’t a mood killer, I don’t know what is.

I try to mindlink Brandon, but he is either shielding really hard or is asleep because he doesn’t respond.

I link Zak, since Charlie is definitely not a morning person.

Hey, man, you up? I say.

Never went to sleep. You? Zak’s tired voice responds. I can feel the pain in his voice. As close as he and Brandon are, and even though he is Charlie’s mate, this is a side that only I see of Zak. He doesn’t like to let people in on his pain.

Ever since we were kids and fully understood our positions in the pack, Zak has felt that he has to be strong for his pack. That he can’t show his pain. It’s stupid, because everyone feels pain, but Alphas are…different. They sometimes take macho to the extreme and at the weirdest times.

But as the Gamma of the pack, it was my job to carry out the Alpha’s laws, enforcing any punishment that he himself didn’t fulfill and consulting with him on pack law and precedent. This was the only time that Zak allowed his pain to show. Any time that he agonized over a situation, was hurt by a choice that he had to make, or had to carry out a punishment, I was the one that he spoke to. The first time that he had to make the choice to kill a rouge, at the age of 16, he came to me bawling. He was looking for a loophole to spare the man’s life, as he was not the leader of the rouge pack, but just following orders. We searched pack law books for hours until Zak’s father insisted that he carry out the sentence. Zak was brokenhearted, but showed a mask of indifference to his pack. He found me later and cried over the life he had taken.

Off and on. Have you heard from Brandon? I ask, hopeful.

Nothing. Zak’s tone is dejected.

Do you think we should go looking for him?

We’ll give him until morning. If he isn’t back or hasn’t contacted any of us, then we’ll go looking.

I sigh. I know he’s right, but this sucks. Ok.

Try to keep your mind off of Brandon. You’ve been relieved of duties for the few weeks to unite with Xander, except for the Beta ceremony and Blue Crescent’s arrival. Enjoy your mate. The se.x after marking is amazing. His forced chuckle flits through my mind. I know that he is trying to change the subject and I appreciate it. But I hate that he is hiding his pain away, even from me.

Are you ok? I know that this is hard, especially after knowing that he is your mate.

Honestly? It sucks, but we should have anticipated it. I’m desperately trying to keep myself from going out searching for him.

Why don’t you? I mean, I know that he’s pissed and he said some really shitty things, but you three are mates. Even if he doesn’t know it yet, he has to feel the pull of the mate bond. And besides, we’ve been friends forever. All of that counts for something.

I know. I’m just…I’m just trying to give him space. I’m so afraid that we will push him, like the Goddess said not to do. She specifically said not to tell him because she didn’t know what his path held if we did. Will he reject us if we do? Will he run from all that we can give him? I don’t know. His inner voice is choked and I can tell that he is trying to fend off tears.

Hey, Z. It’s ok, man. The Goddess said that she didn’t know what would happen if you told him that he was your mate before his birthday. That doesn’t mean that you can’t be there for him. That doesn’t mean that you can’t try to make it up to him. He loves you and Charlie. He’s loved you two for years. This isn’t the end. I know it. The Goddess wouldn’t let it be the end.

Thanks, Dev. I think I’m just going to go for a run. I’m too antsy to sit here and wait. If you need me, you can link.

Ok, man. Let me know if you need anything.

Zak cuts the link. I breathe out a heavy sigh and rub my hands over my face.

Xander cuddles into me more, wrapping his leg around my waist. The sparks course through my skin, making a beeline to my d!ck. F**k! I’m really upset, but now I’m really horny, too. Trying to ignore my raging boner, I think of where Brandon may have gone. Do I send someone to look for him? Should I go for a run with Zak?

Lost in thought, I don’t notice Xander’s breathing pick up as he wakes. He must feel my ere.ction against the leg that he has thrown over me because his hands start to travel. I feel his hardened d!ck rub against my a.ss and only then notice that my mate is awake.